- Jun 29, 2019
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At best, the Bible frowns on worrying. We can see as such in a passage like Matthew 6:34 in which Lord Jesus says to “not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Lexico.com defines worry as to “Give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.” Is it a sin to worry? Not as directly, in a sense, to the extent it’s not mentioned along with a multitude of other sins described in Galatians 5:19-21 which denotes the work of the flesh. But consider Proverbs 18:9 which says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” Also consider that strife is one of the “works of the flesh” that are mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21. A picture starts to form. Strife can start with a person who doesn’t do their share, since it disrupts and places a burden on others doing their share. Time is spent on what to do regarding such a person, instead of attending to matters at hand. Strife can extend to not attending to such matters at hand, causing those involved to be slack in their own work. So you see, in terms of sin, or the works of the flesh, or whatever you want to call it, anxiety casts a web onto others who in turn are faced with an anxiety that didn’t appear before.
There is a way to negate anxiety, and that is to plan to deal with what is causing you the anxiety. If you have a concern about something that may happen, you shouldn’t sit and worry, or curl up and worry as the case may be; instead, plan on how to deal with and negate what causes you to worry. And if you can’t think of anything, then as the Bible says in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” if you reach a point in which there is no apparent solution, then, to paraphrase an old Greyhound bus TV commercial, leave the driving to God; then move on to your next task or challenge. And be mindful of Romans 8:28 which says that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His Purpose.
If you reach a point when, for example, you’re faced with eviction from an apartment, and you’ve done everything you could including appealing to the landlord to give you more time to pay the rent, seeking an attorney to put a stay on the proceeding, appealing to the authorities for relief, then at that point it is time to pray, putting your worries onto Him and then working on other things. It would do no good to curl up in your bed until the sheriff knocks on your door, so you may as well continue with things despite a sword hanging over your head. You’ve done all you could, including casting your worries onto God, so you may as well continue on in your life. As a booster, as far as things you have no control over or see a conclusion is concerned, Proverbs 3:5-6 says to Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Lexico.com defines worry as to “Give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.” Is it a sin to worry? Not as directly, in a sense, to the extent it’s not mentioned along with a multitude of other sins described in Galatians 5:19-21 which denotes the work of the flesh. But consider Proverbs 18:9 which says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” Also consider that strife is one of the “works of the flesh” that are mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21. A picture starts to form. Strife can start with a person who doesn’t do their share, since it disrupts and places a burden on others doing their share. Time is spent on what to do regarding such a person, instead of attending to matters at hand. Strife can extend to not attending to such matters at hand, causing those involved to be slack in their own work. So you see, in terms of sin, or the works of the flesh, or whatever you want to call it, anxiety casts a web onto others who in turn are faced with an anxiety that didn’t appear before.
There is a way to negate anxiety, and that is to plan to deal with what is causing you the anxiety. If you have a concern about something that may happen, you shouldn’t sit and worry, or curl up and worry as the case may be; instead, plan on how to deal with and negate what causes you to worry. And if you can’t think of anything, then as the Bible says in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” if you reach a point in which there is no apparent solution, then, to paraphrase an old Greyhound bus TV commercial, leave the driving to God; then move on to your next task or challenge. And be mindful of Romans 8:28 which says that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His Purpose.
If you reach a point when, for example, you’re faced with eviction from an apartment, and you’ve done everything you could including appealing to the landlord to give you more time to pay the rent, seeking an attorney to put a stay on the proceeding, appealing to the authorities for relief, then at that point it is time to pray, putting your worries onto Him and then working on other things. It would do no good to curl up in your bed until the sheriff knocks on your door, so you may as well continue with things despite a sword hanging over your head. You’ve done all you could, including casting your worries onto God, so you may as well continue on in your life. As a booster, as far as things you have no control over or see a conclusion is concerned, Proverbs 3:5-6 says to Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
